Following meetings between the Chinese Ministry of Health (MOH) and the World Health Organization Representative in China, the MOH requested WHO to provide technical assistance on cost-containment mechanisms for antiretrovirals (ARVs) and other essential medicines in China.
The MOH requested information in the following areas:
1. The range of cost-containment options for ARVs and other essential medicines that China might consider.
2. Lessons from other countries' experience in negotiating price discounts and voluntary licensing arrangements for ARVs and other essential medicines.
3. China's World Trade Organization (WTO) Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Agreement (TRIPS) compatible options to undertake compulsory licensing; and the modalities of how a compulsory licence might be issued in China.